MEXICO — The Board of Trustees for the Mexico Water District announced Nov. 14 that it received a $2,000 Safety Enhancement Grant from the Maine Municipal Association.

The grant will be used to “purchase safety equipment or services that assist in reducing the frequency and severity of workplace injuries,” according to Water District news release.

Anne Young, a member of the Board of Trustees, said Wednesday that they applied for the grant in August to help lower the cost of a trench box they wanted to buy.

“The Maine Municipal Association Risk Management Service program offers a grant for the purchase of safety equipment twice a year, in the spring and fall,” Young said. “Whenever we know that we have safety equipment purchases to make, the first thing we do is apply for the grant.”

Young said the grant will cover up to two-thirds of the cost of the safety equipment, or a maximum of $2,000.

“The trench box that we were looking to purchase cost around $6,000, give or take, so the grant will end up coming out to $2,000,” Young said. “The trench box is used for small main breaks and allows for repair work to water service lines so it’s going to be really helpful for us.”

The Maine Municipal Association has been awarding safety grants to members of its workers’ compensation fund since 1999. The grant program has provided more than $3.1 million for 2,403 Safety Enhancement Grants and 366 scholarship grants.

For more information, call the Mexico Water District at 364-2061.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com